Let’s imagine this person in detail. The first symptoms made their appearance 5 years ago. Since then, this person has visited countless doctors in the search of understanding what was wrong. Looking back, it is evident that the disease has changed this person’s life in many profound different ways. It has forced her/him to give up some of their most enjoyable activities, such as practicing sports, travelling or even working. It is imposing on them substantial financial burdens, sometimes more than what their family can afford. And it is also affecting the lives and well-being of the people that care for them.

Do you have a clear picture of this individual now? How old is this person in your mind? 60 years old, maybe older?

Think again.

If this person is suffering from a mental health disorder, it is most likely that she/he is around 20 years old.

In contrast with other chronic diseases, the first symptoms of mental disorders most commonly present among young people, typically beginning in adolescence or early adulthood. Mental disorders are not rare: It is estimated that 1 in 8 young people will develop a mental disorder in the next year, and this trend is further exacerbated in the context of the global economic and social crisis. Currently, depression is the #1 cause of years lost to disability among people between 10 to 19 years old. But only half of the people affected with a mental disorder receive the treatment they need. 35.5% to 50.3% of serious cases receive no treatment at all during at least one year before their first assessment, and these figures rise to 76% – 85% in developing countries.

So, let’s go back to thinking of the person with the chronic disease. She (let’s say it’s a woman, but could be a man just as frequently) started experiencing the first symptoms when she was 15. At first she wouldn’t pay attention to the signs/symptoms, and rather tried to reject the notion that they were even happening. But they kept coming back. She lives in a developing country, so the chances are that it takes over two to three years before receiving an initial medical assessment, and around 5 years before she receives a “notionally adequate” treatment. In the meantime, she stops going to school, she loses most – if not all – of her friends, and receives comments that she should keep her expectations low. She has been diagnosed with a chronic disease that has shaped her present and her future. And she is only 20 years old.

This is just an example of how mental health disorders are rapidly becoming the chronic disease of the youth. Up to 75% of all adults that have a mental disorder presented with their first symptoms before the age of 25. Due to their mental illnesses, these young people see themselves forced to stop studying and they usually have to struggle to get their first job, if they ever get one at all. The failure to detect the disorder increases the chances of the disease to have a more chronic long-term course, which means that they will have to deal with the disease and its consequences for the rest of their lives.

Such considerable unmet need is particularly unexpected as the vast majority of mental disorders are either mild or transitory, and for most cases effective treatment and rehabilitation exist. Much of what I have described are not inner characteristics of mental disorders. This scenario is the consequence of lack of information and awareness about what it means to have a mental disorder and what to do incase one is suspected.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals include the aim of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages (SDG#3). Recognizing mental ill-health and being informed on how to deal with it is crucial for building a healthy lifestyle. Let’s celebrate the Mental Health Month by spreading the voice. It is time to empower young people and recognize their own resources to change the current mental health situation.

By Ximena Goldberg (member of Resilie, a non-profit that seeks to reduce the burden of mental health)

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Hi @alliavaez and thank you for your comment! You make a great point about stigma and how it is definitely a key barrier to treatment, one that should be sistematically addressed and tackled. Also, mental health should be promoted and symptoms prevented with interventions that target risk factors such as chronic stress and maltreatment. Let’s keep up the work on mental health!

Thanks for this blog post bringing attention to an incredibly important and under-discussed NCD. It is absolutely one of the fastest growing NCDs all over the world and a great example of NCDs being neglected in certain parts of the world. Many low income countries do not have the capacity to treat physical illness, much less mental illness. The single greatest barrier to treating depression and other mental illness in these parts of the world is stigma due to a lack of knowledge. With this barrier in the way, it is nearly impossible to make any strides in treating mental illness; we could build hundreds of clinics with well-stocked medications, and employ therapists and psychiatrists, but you would have no patients. Keeping stigma in mind, it’s evident that we need newer, more innovative strategies to treat mental illness in low income countries. Beginning with educational campaigns targeting different groups within a community to emphasize that mental health treatment is not something to be ashamed of is key. This summer while working on my Master’s thesis fieldwork in Haiti, I worked alongside other students gathering data for mental health research. Lack of infrastructure to build a mental health clinic was the least of their problems; there were numerous issues surrounding stigma, misinformation about mental health, and unwillingness to attend clinics that would indicate they had mental health issues. There were also issues surrounding women’s ability to receive mental health treatment when their husbands/partners were not supportive of such treatment. Interventions involving the community and keeping the discussion going in these areas is so important. It’s definitely a rising global health issue and one that needs all the attention it can get, so thanks again!